Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Point-of Sale Activation and Subsequent Registration of Products
APPLICANT(S)/INVENTOR(S)
[0002] Inventor One:
Barry J. Fiala
Citizenship: U.S.A.
Residence: 200 Wagner Street
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
[0003] Inventor Two:
Mary B. Hodes
Citizenship: U.S.A.
Last IW own Residence:
6681 Hidden Fern Lane East
Bartlett, Tennessee 38135
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0010] This application is a non-provisional application corresponding to
pending
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/260,058, filed January 5, 2001,
entitled
Point of Sale Activation for Software and Metered Accounts, and claims
priority
benefit thereof.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
OR DEVELOPMENT
[0011] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO COMPACT DISCS)
[0012] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0020] 1. Field of the Invention: The present invention relates, in general,
to
methods and apparatus for point-of sale activation of products such as, fox
example,
software, downloaded music and other copyrighted material, metered accounts,
and
other products, and related pacl~aging for presentation to a purchaser prior
to sale and
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for point-of sale activation of such products. In particular, the present
invention
relates to methods and apparatus for the point-of sale activation of such
products,
related paclcaging for presentation to a purchaser prior to sale and for point-
of sale
activation of such products, and the subsequent registration of the products
so as to
enable the products to be used by a consumer.
[0030] 2. Information Disclosure Statement: Prior art prepaid metered accounts
associated with debit cards are well-known for providing access to goods and
services,
e.g., telephone services. Typically, a card having a personal identification
number
("PIN") thereon is sold at a retail outlet for a certain price. This PIN is
associated with
aaz already-activated metered account that is pre-credited with a certain
predetermined
value representing the value of services, e.g., telephone services, being
purchased.
Then, as the cardholder uses the telephone services, the cardholder provides
the PIN
and the account is successively debited for the services provided until the
value of the
card is exhausted. Often, the predetermined value credited to the metered
account may
be more than the actual purchase price of the debit card because of
promotional
pricing, etc. However, theft of services is a problem when such a scheme is
used
because unfettered access to the metered account is available to anyone who
obtains
knowledge of the PIN for the pre-activated metered account, necessitating the
storage
of such cards under loclc and key by the retail merchant until the moment the
cards are
sold, thereby preventing the stocl~ing of such cards on store shelves freely
accessible
by prospective purchasers.
[0040] An excellent and imlovative approach to solving such theft of services
for a
metered account is given by Fiala, U.S. Patent No. 5,918,909 (issued July 6,
1999),
fully included herein by reference thereto, disclosing how innovative
packaging and a
related method of use, in which a data-encoded activation strip on a card
attached to a
panel of a package, can permit a metered account to be activated at the point-
of sale,
thereby allowing the packaged, but inactive, cards for the metered account to
be placed
on shelves of a retail store and removing the need for keeping such cards for
metered
accounts under lock and key prior to sale. Another example of solving such
theft of
services for a metered account is given by Smith et al., U.S. Patent No.
5,777,305
(issued July 7, 1998), fully included herein by reference thereto, disclosing
that the
data-encoded activation strip could be placed on the package itself rather
than on the
card, and also disclosing that a machine-readable identification number could
be
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visible through a cutout in the paclcage, so that either the data-encoded
activation strip
or the machine-readable identification number could be used to activate the
metered
account at the point-of sale. However, the purpose of these prior art
approaches, and
of other improvements that have built upon these prior art approaches, was to
provide
point-of sale activation of metered accounts, and the purpose of these prior
art
approaches and their improvements was completed after the point-of sale
activation of
the metered account.
[0050] Some products, such as computer software, music, movies, entertainment
products, telephone services, etc., are accessed and/or retrieved over well-
known
communications channels subsequent to purchase, such that all of, or a portion
of, the
products are delivered over the communications chamlel. Examples of such well-
known communications channels are well-known dialup telephone voice or data
connections, dedicated high-speed data channels, broadband cable traxlsmission
channels, radio and/or satellite communications channels, a packet-switched
global
data communications network (i.e., the so-called "internet"), etc.
Additionally, some
products or services, such as computer software, etc., have to be "registered"
with a
registration database, during which registration step the user of such
products provides
a purchased code, such as a PIN or serialized registration code, to the
registration
facility and may receive an "unlocking code," etc., that permits use of the
product or
service by entering this unlocking code at the time of use of the product.
[0060] Furthermore, some products, particularly computer software products,
face
a problem of rapid obsolescence of inventory as the products are improved,
corrected,
and/or updated, such that older versions of the products must be discarded or
returned
by retailers, often at great expense to the retailer or manufacturer.
[0070] It is therefore desirable to provide improved packaging and methods for
automated activation at point-of sale of products, and further to provide
improved
apparatus and methods for subsequent registrati~n of those products after
point-of sale
activation. It is further desirable to solve the problem of inventory
obsolescence of
rapidly evolving data products such as computer software.
[000] None of the known prior art references, either singly or in combination,
disclose or suggest the present invention.
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BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0200] The present invention provides paclcaging of products for presentation
to a
prospective purchaser, provides for point-of sale activation of the products,
provides
for subsequent post-activation registration of the products, and provides
methods and
apparatus for accomplishing such point-of sale activation and subsequent
registration
of the products.
[0210] With all embodiments of the invention, the product being vended is
unactivated and cannot be used prior to activation at the point-of sale. Many
equivalent means of machine-readable activation at the point-of purchase are
disclosed
such as a data-encoded activation strip that can be read by a magnetic or
optical
scamler, or such as well-known so-called integrated circuit card ("ICC") or
"smart
card" technology in which data within an integrated circuit is accessed at the
point-of
purchase by a well-known ICC interface apparatus.
[0220] Prior to point-of sale activation, and while the product to be vended
is in
the retail store for examination by a prospective purchaser, a personalized
identification number ("PIN") is preferably obscured from the view of the
purchaser.
The PIN may be human-readable alphanumeric characters and could be obscured,
for
example, by a well-known "scratch off' coating or "peel-off ' label to provide
evidence
of a surreptitious attempt by another to view the PIN prior to purchase, or
may be data
that is only readable by a specialized machine such as a magnetic or optical
scanner, or
may be data that is encoded onto computer data storage media within the
purchased
package, or may be data that is encoded within an ICC element within the
purchased
paclcage and readable only using a well-known ICC interface apparatus, or may
be
obscured simply by having the PIN hidden by or within the packaging itself.
The PIN,
even if visible, would not be usable until the product is activated at point-
of sale, but
there would be a risk that the PIN, if visible, might be surreptitiously
viewed and
recorded prior to sale by someone desiring free use of the product, that this
someone
could simply wait until activation at point-of sale by a bona fide purchaser,
at which
time the surreptitious viewer might be able to register and then use the
product,
possibly even preventing use of the product by the bona fide purchaser.
Accordingly,
it is very desirable that, prior to point-of purchase activation, the PIN is
obscured from
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viewing by a prospective purchaser so as to prevent surreptitious viewing and
recording of the PIN by someone other than the eventual purchaser prior to
purchase of
the product by the eventual purchaser of the product. With some embodiments,
vending and activation of the product occurs via a lciosk, which may perform a
final
manufacturing step of applying the PIN to the vended package at the time of
sale.
[0230] Subsequent to point-of sale activation, the method and apparatus of the
present invention provide for registration of the purchased product/services
with a
registration database over a well-known communications channel, during which
registration step the user of such products/services provides the PIN, and
perhaps other
related registration information, to the registration facility, thereby
enabling the
product/services to be utilized by the user. Optionally, the user may receive
an
"unlocl~ing code," etc., for subsequent use at the time the product/service is
accessed
or used by the user, thereby permitting use of the product or service, and,
for some
types of products/services, such as, for example, computer software products,
updates
or revisions, or perhaps even the entire product, are then downloaded over the
communications channel (or perhaps even a different communications channel
than
the one used for registration). In some embodiments of the present invention,
the
registration and optional receipt of an unlocl~ing code, as well as the
optional
downloading over the communications channel of updates or part or all of the
product,
may be automated, occurring at the first use of the product's computer data
storage
media without explicit request by the user.
[0240] It is an object of the present invention to provide packaging of
products for
presentation to a prospective purchaser, to provide for point-of sale
activation of the
products, to provide for subsequent post-activation registration of the
products in a
secure maimer, and to provide methods and apparatus for accomplishing such
point-
of sale activation and subsequent registration of the products.
[0250] It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a method
of
manufacture for ensuring accurate association of a serialized product within a
paclcage
with a point-of sale activation code on the package.
[0260] It is still a further object of the present invention to provide post-
purchase
delivery of such products over a communications channel, with such delivery
being
co-ordinated and integrated from manufacture, through point-of sale
activation, and
post-purchase registration.
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It is a further object of the present invention to provide a solution for
inventory
obsolescence of rapidly evolving data products such as computer software.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE
DRAWING .
[1000] Fig. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the paclcage of the
present
invention before final assembly.
[1010] Fig. 2 is a front view of the first embodiment of the package of the
present
invention after final assembly.
[1020] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the package of
the
present invention of Fig. 1 during folding of the panels of the package
together.
[1030] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the package of
the
present invention of Fig. 1 after folding of the panels of the package
together.
[1040] Fig. 5 is a rear view of the first embodiment of the package of the
present
invention after final assembly.
[1050] Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 5 of the first
embodiment of
the package of the present invention, showing the URL desig~iator.
[1060] Fig. 7 is a plan view of the joined panels of the package of the first
embodiment of the present invention, similar to Fig. 1 but at an earlier stage
in
assembly.
[1070] Fig. 8 is a front view of the transparent window for the computer data
storage media of the first embodiment of the package of the present invention.
[1080] Fig. 9 is a view of the computer data storage media of the first
embodiment
of the paclcage of the present invention.
[1090] Fig. 10 is a view of the transparent window for a portion of the
activation
card for the first embodiment of the package of the present invention.
[1100] Fig. 11 is a front view of a first embodiment of an activation card of
the
present invention.
[1110] Fig. 12 is a rear view of the first embodiment of the activation card
of the
present invention.
[1120] Fig. 13 is an enlarged rear view of the first embodiment of the
activation
card of the present invention.
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[1130] Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an instructional booklet for inclusion
within paclcaging of various embodiments of the apparatus of the present
invention.
[1140] Fig. 15 is a front view of a transparent window for the computer data
storage media of the second embodiment of the package of the present
invention.
[1150] Fig. 16 is a plan view of the joined panels of the package of the
second
embodiment of the package of the present invention.
[1160] Fig. 17 is a view of the computer data storage media of the second
embodiment of the package of the present invention.
[1170] Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing placement of an instructional
booklet
and computer data storage media into a box of the second embodiment of the
package
of the present invention.
[1180] Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the package
of
the present invention after final assembly.
[1190] Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the package
of
the present invention during folding of the panels of the package together.
[1200] Fig. 21 is a front view of the second embodiment of the package of the
present invention after final assembly.
[1210] Fig. 22 is a rear view of the second embodiment of the package of the
present invention after final assembly.
[1220] Fig. 23 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the package of the
present
invention before final assembly.
[1230] Fig. 24 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the paclcage
of the
present invention of Fig. 23 during folding of the panels of the package
together.
[1240] Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the package of
the
present invention of Fig. 23 after folding of the panels of the package
together.
[1250] Fig. 26 is a front view of the third embodiment of the package of the
present invention after final assembly.
[1260] Fig. 27 is a rear view of the third embodiment of the package of the
present
invention after final assembly.
[1270] Fig. 2~ is a plan view of the joined panels of a fourth embodiment of
the
paclcage of the present invention.
[1280] Fig. 29 is a front view of a second embodiment of an activation card of
the
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present invention.
[1290] Fig. 30 is a rear view of the second embodiment of the activation card
of
the present invention.
[1300] Fig. 31 is a plan view of the fourth embodiment of the package of the
present invention before final assembly.
[1310] Fig. 32 is a rear view of the fourth embodiment of the package of the
present invention after final assembly.
[1320] Fig. 33 is a front view of a fifth embodiment of the paclcage of the
present
invention after final assembly.
[1330] Fig. 34 is a rear view of a fifth embodiment of the paclcage of the
present
invention after final assembly.
[1340] Fig. 35 is a front view of the sixth embodiment of the package of the
present invention after final assembly, whose rear view is shown in Fig. 46.
[1350] Fig. 36 is a plan view of an eighth embodiment of the package of the
present invention before placement of the activation card in the package
during
assembly.
[1360] Fig. 37 is a front view of the transparent window for the computer data
storage media of the eighth embodiment of the package of the present
invention.
[1370] Fig. 38 is a view of the computer data storage media of the eighth
embodiment of the package of the present invention.
[1380] Fig. 39 is a front view of a third embodiment of an activation card of
the
present invention.
[1390] Fig. 40 is a rear view of the third embodiment of the activation card
of the
present invention.
[1400] Fig. 41 is a perspective view of the eighth embodiment of the package
of
the present invention of Fig. 36 during folding of the panels of the package
together.
[1410] Fig. 42 is a perspective view of the eighth embodiment of the package
of
the present invention of Fig. 36 after folding of the panels of the package
together.
[1420] Fig. 43 is a front view of the eighth embodiment of the package of the
.
present invention after final assembly.
[1430] Fig. 44 is a rear view of the eighth embodiment of the package of the
present invention after final assembly.
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[1440] Fig. 45 is a perspective view of a ninth embodiment of the package of
the
present invention with an activation code exposed through an aperture in the
package,
and with a portion of the paclcage cut away to show an associated PIN inside
the
package along with computer data storage media.
[1450] Fig. 46 is a rear view of the sixth embodiment of the package of the
present
invention whose front view is shown in Fig. 35.
[1460] Fig. 47 is a rear view of a seventh embodiment of the package of the
present invention. The front view of the seventh embodiment of the package of
the
present invention after final assembly is substantially the same as the front
view of the
sixth embodiment as shown in Fig. 35.
[1470] Fig. 48 is a plan view of a substrate of a first embodiment of a label
as
might be used with some embodiments of the present invention, during an early
stage
of manufacture of the label.
[1480] Fig. 49 is a plan view of the substrate of the first embodiment of the
label
of Fig. 48 during a subsequent stage of manufacture after printing thereon of
a PIN and
a machine-readable optical activation code.
[1490] Fig. 50 is a plan view of the first embodiment of the label of Fig. 49
during
a subsequent stage of manufacture after deposition thereon of an opaque
covering over
the PIN.
[1500] Fig. SOA is a plan view of a second embodiment of the label of Fig. 50,
substantially similar thereto except that the machine-readable optical
activation code is
printed on top of the.opaque covering over the PIN.
[1510] Fig. 51 is a plan view of the first embodiment of the label of Fig. 50
during
removal of the opaque covering over the PIN.
[1520] Fig. S lA is a side sectional view of the first and second embodiments
of
the labels of Figs. 50 and SOA as applied to a package of the present
invention, in
which a scratch-off opaque covering has been deposited over the PIN.
[1530] Fig. S 1B is a side sectional view of a variation of the first and
second
embodiments of the labels of Figs. 50 and SOA as applied to a package of the
present
invention, in which a peel-off opaque covering has been deposited over the PIN
and is
being removed.
[1540] Fig. 52 is a plan view of a third embodiment of a label as might be
used
with some embodiments of the present invention, having multiple PINS and
showing
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removal of the opaque covering over the multiple PINS.
[1550] Fig. 53 is a schematic bloclc diagram showing various components of
some
embodiments of the method of the present invention.
[1560] Fig. 54 is a schematic block diagram showing various components of
other
embodiments of the method of the present invention.
[1570] Fig. 55 is a perspective view of a twelfth embodiment of the package of
the
present invention during folding of the panels of the package together.
[1580] Fig. 56 is a front view of a product registration card for use with the
twelfth
and thirteenth embodiments of the present invention.
[1590] Fig. 57 is a rear view of a product registration card for use with the
twelfth
and thirteenth embodiments of the present invention.
[1600] Fig. 58 is a front view of the transparent window for the multiple
product
registration cards of the twelfth and thirteenth embodiments of the package of
the
present invention.
[1610] Fig. 59 is a view of the transparent window for a portion of the
activation
card for the twelfth embodiment of the package of the present invention.
[1620] Fig. 60 is a front view of the twelfth embodiment of the package of the
present invention after final assembly.
[1630] Fig. 61 is a rear view of the twelfth embodiment of the package of the
present invention after final assembly.
[1640] Fig. 62 is a perspective view of an thirteenth embodiment of the
package of
the present invention during folding of the panels of the package together.
[1650] Fig. 63 is a front view of the thirteenth embodiment of the package of
the
present invention after final assembly.
[1660] Fig. 64 is a rear view of the thirteenth embodiment of the package of
the
present invention after final assembly.
[1670] Fig. 65 is a rear view of a fourteenth embodiment of the paclcage of
the
present invention after final assembly.
[1680] Fig. 66 is a front view of the fourteenth embodiment of the package of
the
present invention after final assembly.
[1690] Fig. 67 is a perspective view of the fourteenth embodiment of the
paclcage
of the present invention, showing lifting of the protective flap during
activation at
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point-of sale.
[1700] Fig. 68 is a schematic block diagram showing various components of some
embodiments of the method of the present invention in which the paclcage is
vended
from a lcioslc at the point-of sale.
[1710] Fig. 69 is a schematic block diagram showing various components of the
lciosk shown in Fig. 68.
[1720] Fig. 70 is a plan view of a gift box package (fifteenth embodiment) of
the
present invention, before folding assembly of the gift box package.
[1730] Fig. 71 is a perspective view of the gift box package of Fig. 70 during
folding assembly of the package.
[1740] Fig. 72 is a perspective view of the gift box package of Fig. 70 after
folding
assembly of the package.
[1750] Fig. 73 is a perspective view of the gift box package of Fig. 70 after
activation of the product and with the activation card removed.
[1760] Fig. 74 is a perspective view of a tenth embodiment of the package of
the
present invention, similar to the unth embodiment shown in Fig. 45, with a
product
serialization code exposed through an aperture in the package and with the
label of
Fig. 50 applied to the paclcage, and with a portion of the paclcage cut away
to show
serialized computer data storage media and other product materials inside the
package.
[1770] Fig. 75 is a perspective view of an eleventh embodiment of the package
of
the present invention, similar to the ninth embodiment shown in Fig. 45 and
the tenth
embodiment shown in Fig. 74, with the label of Fig. 50 applied to the package,
and
with a portion of the package cut away to show unserialized computer data
storage
media and other product materials inside the package.
[1780] Fig. 76 is a diagram showing a portion of a manufacturing step of the
present invention in which the activation code and product serialization
information
are scanned, become associated with each other, and are stored together in a
computer
database.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[2000] Refernng to the drawing figures, various preferred embodiments of
packaging of the present invention are shown, as well as various preferred
methods of
practicing the present invention using the preferred embodiments of packaging.
Figs.
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53, 54, and 68 show variations of the method of the present invention, and the
method
of the present invention will be described with only a brief description of
the
packaging variations used to practice the method of the present invention,
followed by
a detailed description of the various preferred embodiments of the paclcaging.
It shall
be understood that many aspects of all embodiments of the packaging of the
present
invention are substantially the same, and only the differences will be treated
in detail,
it being understood that similar structural features of the various
embodiments perform
similar functions. It should be further understood that variations of the
present
invention are possible in which some elements of one embodiment's packaging
structure are combined with other elements of another embodiment, as will be
readily
apparent to one spilled in the art after being presented with the disclosure
and
teachings of the present invention.
[2010] Referring to Figs. 53, 54, and 68, the method of the present invention
provides for point of sale activation and subsequent registration of products.
The
products are able to be presented using a package, generally, 20, in a retail
environment in a "cold" or unactivated state and are then "activated" at the
time of
purchase at a point-of sale ("POS"). It shall be understood that the terms
point-of sale
and point-of purchase may be used interchangeably herein. The'packaged
delivery
system of the present invention allows a variety of goods and services,
generically
referred to herein as "products", to be metered or activated after the product
has been
purchased. Products suited for this invention include, without limitation,
computer
software programs, computer software applications, digital information, access
to
digital information and programming content, "virtual reality" programs and
services
and games and entertainment, and Internet services, all of which require
license control
or metered access, or where prepayment would benefit a supplier of these
products.
[2020] It is well-known to purchase such products using credit cards and to
deliver
such products over a communications channel to a computer's data storage
peripherals. Many consumers are unwilling to provide confidential information,
such
as credit card account numbers or personal data, etc., to unknown
organizations or
merchants. The present invention offers a method of purchasing products with
anonymity and without having established credit.
[2030] The product being vended or sold may be activated at the POS by various
means. For example, some embodiments of the package have a data-encoded strip
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with an encoded activation code, and the activation code of the data-encoded
strip is
read by an appropriate and well-known data-encoded strip reader such as, for
example,
a well-known magnetic strip reader 22 sold under the trademark VeriFone, or a
well-
lcnown optical scanner 24 that can read optical characters, bar codes, machine-
readable
optical recording media, etc., depending on the particular variant of data-
encoded strip.
Preferably, the activation code may be read at POS without requiring the
package to be
torn, opened, or destroyed, because such modification of the package would
preclude
its return to stock in the event that the purchaser decides or is not able to
complete the
purchase of the product, but modification of the packaging during POS
activation,
while undesirable, is not precluded by some embodiments of the present
invention. As
used herein, a "data-encoded strip" shall be understood to mean any of the
well-known
technologies by which data may be encoded into machine-readable form, such as,
for
example, by magnetic flux reversals of magnetic media, bar codes, maclune-
readable
optical characters, machine-readable optical recording media, etc. Other
embodiments
of the package utilize well-known integrated circuit card ("ICC") technology,
also
well-lcnown in the trade as so-called "smart card" technology, as described,
for
example, by the well-known international specifications given in ISO/IEC 7816-
3,
ISO/IEC 7816-4, ISO/IEC 7816-5, etc., for intelligent payment card teclmology
developed by the international consortium of Europay, MasterCard, and VISA
("EMV"). In such well-known ICC technology embodiments, an ICC element 26,
such as an integrated circuit with random access memory ("RAM") or read-only
memory ("ROM"), or both, is programmed with activation code and/or PIN
information that can be interrogated, updated, etc., using a well-known ICC
interface
apparatus 28, and typically the ICC element 26 is embedded into a plastic
card. In the
context of the present invention, the ICC element may be embedded into an
activation
card, generally, 78, of the present invention.
[2040] All embodiments of the package 20 have at least one PIN, generally, 32,
preferably obscured while the package is still in the retail environment for
examination
by a prospective purchaser, by which the activated product may be registered
during a
registration step subsequent to activation at POS. The various details of how
the PIN
may be included with each embodiment of the packaging of the present invention
are
described with each respective embodiment. The PIN may be alphanumeric data of
any desired length, and represents one unique product account in the computer
data
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14
storage apparatus 34 with which the product is registered after activation.
PINS can be
produced in a well-l~nown mamler by a computer program in random order and of
specified alphanumeric character lengths. As hereinafter explained, random
PINS can
have an associated sequential control number for the vended product, with the
relationship and association between the PIN and the control number being
established
prior to vending of the product, such that the relationship and association
may be
stored in the computer data storage apparatus 34 prior to vending of the
product. So as
to enable a one-to-one mapping between the number of product accounts, i.e.,
sequential control numbers, and the PINS, the PINS will be of an appropriate
length to
enable such unique encoding. Additionally, the PIN may be lengthened by adding
additional alphanumeric characters (checlc codes) for additional levels of
security. If
desired, the control number may be encoded in the data-encoded strip or ICC
element,
etc., and this encoding of the control number may be used as an additional
security
check for the PIN.
[2050] For ease of use by a person registering the product, the PIN, if human
readable, may have dashes or spaces interposed within the alphanumeric
characters,
such as, for example, 999-999-999 or 999 999 999.
[2060] As described in greater detail herein as the various embodiments are
presented, the PIN or PINs may be obscured by panels of the package or by a
removable opaque covering such as well-known scratch-off opaque material or
peel-
off opaque material, so as to provide an additional level of security by
providing the
customer with evidence of surreptitious viewing and/or tampering prior to
purchase. If
the obscuring material were to show evidence of tampering, the customer would
realize that the PIN or PINS were no longer secure. The well-known opaque
scratch-
off material can be deposited over the PIN by heat and pressure using commonly-
available hot stamping material, or could be printed in a slurry or screen-
printed
directly over the PIN so as to provide security. The opaque material may be
overprinted with instructions to remove the obscuring material in order to
access the
PIN. A pressure-sensitive opaque label may be positioned over the PIN or PINS
using
an appropriate applicator in an automated machine process at high speeds. An
opaque
pressure-sensitive permanent-adhesive label, cut or scored to allow evidence
of
tampering, could be used to secure and conceal the PIN, and instructional
information
may be provided with instructions describing to the purchaser how to notice
evidence
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of tampering with the PIN or any data under the label.
[2070] The paclcage of the present invention may be of various sizes and
shapes,
and may, if desired, have a well-pnown hanger-hole aperture, generally, 36,
allowing
the package to be hung from a product display hoole in the retail environment
prior to
sale. Alternatively, the paclcage may be placed in display containers or on
racks in the
retail environment. If desired, some or all of the surface of the package may
be used
for providing graphics for advertising or product information, in a manner
well-pnown
to those spilled in the art. The fact that the package of the present
invention allows
unactivated product to be openly presented and displayed in the retail
environment due
to the POS activation of the product permits POS graphics that present and
describe
the product to a prospective consumer so as to encourage sale of the product,
in
contrast to prior art pre-activated products that necessarily had to be hidden
or locked
securely away at retail outlets to discourage theft. Accordingly, the package
of the
present invention becomes a communication billboard that presents graphic,
visual,
and informational text to the consumer, and may communicate product features,
benefits, and loyalty-branded coupons to the marketplace.
[2080] W some preferred embodiments of the method of the present invention,
the
activation code is transmitted over a first communications channel 38 from the
POS to
computer data storage apparatus 34. Upon receipt of the activation code by the
computer data storage apparatus 34, it then, by the stored association within
computer
data storage apparatus 34 between the activation code and the PIN, records
that the
PIN for the purchased product has been activated and may then be used to
register the
purchased product. In other preferred embodiments of the present invention,
such as,
for example, an embodiment having a kiosk at the POS, the PINS may supplied
over
the first communications channel 38 by the computer data storage apparatus 34
to the
l~iosk at the time of product purchase and then placed on the package by the
l~iosk at
the time of vending the package at purchase, in a manner hereinafter
described, and the
computer data storage apparatus would record that the supplied PIN has been
activated
and may be used for subsequent registration of the purchased product.
[2090] It should be understood that computer data storage apparatus 34 may be
of
a well-known distributed processing computer architecture and need not be
completely
located at a single centralized location. For example, the POS activation and
communication over the first communications channel 38 may be to a well-lcnown
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specialized "front end" processor 40, which may be considered a portion of a
distributed computer data storage apparatus 34, such that front-end processor
40
communicates using specialized protocols with the particular POS activation
device,
such as well-known magnetic strip reader 22, well-known optical scanner 24,
well-
known ICC interface apparatus 28, l~iosl~ computer 42, etc. In turn, the
receipt of the
activation code by computer data storage apparatus 34 may cause recording at
another
physical site of the fact that the supplied PIN has been activated and may be
used for
subsequent registration of the product. By such a distributed architecture for
computer
data storage apparatus 34, communication with the POS may occur from one
physical
location while subsequent registration of the product may occur by
communication
with a different physical location, e.g., with a registration or authorization
verification
entity such as the product's manufacturer, to whom information has been
provided that
the product has been purchased and may be registered. Once the product has
been
activated, the product may be consumed as by downloading or delivering
information,
software files, programs, unlocking codes, etc., so that the purchased product
may be
used, and the providing of downloaded product may be over still another
communications channel from perhaps still another physical location.
[2100] Subsequent to POS activation, the purchased product is registered over
a
second communications channel 44, during which registration step the now-
activated
PIN is supplied to computer data storage apparatus 34, perhaps also with other
related
registration information, and the computer data storage apparatus 34 will
then, after
verifying that the PIN has been activated and may be used to register the
product,
enable use of, or delivery of, all or a portion of the purchased product.
Optionally, the
user may receive an "unlocking code," etc., from the computer data storage
apparatus
34 for subsequent use at the time the product is accessed or used, thereby
permitting
use of the product or service, and, for some types of products/services, such
as, for
example, computer software products, updates or revisions, or perhaps even the
entire
product, are then downloaded over the communications channel 44 (or perhaps
even a
different communications channel than the one used for registration). In some
embodiments of the present invention, the registration and optional receipt of
an
unlocl~ing code, as well as the optional downloading over the communications
channel
of updates or paxt or all of the product, may be automated, occurring at the
first use of
the product's computer data storage media without explicit request by the
user.
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[2110] In a distributed architecture for computer data storage apparatus 34,
registration communication over the second commuiucations channel 44 may be to
a
well-lmown specialized "front end" processor 48, which may be considered a
portion
of a distributed computer data storage apparatus 34, such that front-end
processor 48
communicates using specialized protocols with a user's computer 50, and
processor 48
may perform validation and registration itself as a distributed portion of
computer data
storage apparatus 34, or may communicate with another distributed portion of
computer data storage apparatus 34 that may do the validation and
registration.
[2120] Various implementations of cormnunications channels 38, 44 are well-
known to those spilled in the art, and their detailed implementation is
unnecessary for
an understanding of the present invention. If desired, coxmnunications channel
interface devices 46, such as well-known "modems" or the life, may be used to
modulate and demodulate data onto the communications channels.
[2130] As shown in Fig. 54, computer data storage apparatus 34 may be
interfaced
to second communications channel 44 using well-known audio recognition means
52
for recognizing a PIN transmitted using an audio signal over communications
channel
44 by the user, and the step of product registration for these embodiments of
the
method of the present invention includes the steps of providing a well-known
telephone 54, establishing a telephonic connection between telephone 54 and
audio
recognition means 52 over communications channel 44, and transmitting the PIN
to
the audio recognition means 52 using the telephone 54. For example, audio
recognition means 52 may be a well-known telephonic dialing tones recognizer
for
recognizing the audio dialing tones emitted by well-known audio tone
generation
means 56 of a well-known tone-dialing telephone 54, and the step of
transmitting the
PIN over communications channel 44 would include the steps of causing the
audio
tone generation means 56 of telephone 54 to generate a sequence of telephonic
dialing
tones that represent the alphanumeric PIN, and recognition of that sequence of
telephonic dialing tones by the telephonic dialing tones recognizer 52, which
would
then pass the PIN data on to computer data storage apparatus 34 for
verification and
registration. Alternatively, audio recognition means 52 may be a well-known
integrated voice recognition ("IVR") apparatus that can recognize a vocabulary
of
spoken words, and the step of transmitting the PIN over the communications
channel
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44 would include the steps of causing the PIN to be spoken into the handset 58
of
telephone 54, followed by recognition of the spoken PIN by the IVR 52. It is
well-
l~lown for such IVR apparatus to include prerecorded messages or computer
speech
generation means so that messages and instructions may be provided to the
caller. As
another alternative, the telephone connection may be made to a "call center"
with
human customer service representatives, who would audibly receive a spoken PIN
from the user and manually perform the registration step, perhaps supplying a
spolcen
unlocking code for the product to the user.
[2140] In order to establish the telephone connection to the audio recognition
means 52 at product registration, the package 20 of the present invention will
preferably include a telephone number 59 printed thereon or within included
materials
in the package, in a manner hereinafter described.
[2150] Alternatively, rather than having the user establish a voice telephone
connection during product registration, and as shown, for example the package
20 may
include a well-known so-called "web address" or Internet "URL" (Uniform
Resource
Locator) 60, a human-readable name used to locate a file or machine on the
Internet,
optionally specifying the protocol (e.g., http, ftp), the machine, an optional
path on the
machine, and an optional (but rarely used) protocol port number, such as, for
example,
the URL of "www.riverborne.com". The user, at registration, would simply run
any of
the well-known Internet browsing communications programs (so-called Internet
"browsers") on his or her computer 50, provide the URL 60 to the
communications
program, and have the communications program establish a connection over the
Internet to the computer data storage apparatus 34. Registration would then
proceed
using the browser and having the user provide registration information over
the
Internet to the computer data storage apparatus 34. If desired, auxiliary
registration
data, such as a user's telephone number, name, postal address, Social Security
munber,
email address, a user-selected password, etc., may be provided during
registration, axed
the computer data storage apparatus 34 may record this auxiliary registration
data and
associate it with the PIN provided at registration, thereby permitting the
provided
user's telephone number or email address or password, etc., to be used instead
of the
PIN to access the purchased product subsequent to registration, or thereby
permitting
postal mailings or electronic mailings to be made to the now-registered user,
etc., or to
permit the user to accrue "loyalty points" or to obtain additional value
incentives.
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[2160] Still alternatively, the PIN may be machine readable as by a computer
interface, and a PIN-reading apparatus may be provided and attached to the
user's
computer 50 so that the user is not required, or perhaps even permitted, to
manually
enter the PIN during registration of the product, and the PIN may be read
under
computer program control by the provided PIN-reading apparatus and transmitted
to
the computer data storage apparatus 34 over the second communications channel
44.
For example, some embodiments of the package have a data-encoded strip for the
PIN
with the PIN being encoded into the data-encoded strip, and the PIN is read
from this
data-encoded strip by an appropriate and well-known data-encoded strip reader
such
as, for example, a well-known magnetic strip reader 22, or a well-known
optical
scanner 24 that can read optical characters, bar codes, machine-readable
optical
recording media, etc., depending on the particular variant of data-encoded
strip. The
PIN-reading apparatus may be of similar or identical construction as the
activation
code reader used at POS. Alternatively, the PIN may be encoded onto computer
data
storage media, generally, 62, for reading by an appropriate computer data
storage
media reader 64, or the PIN may be encoded within an ICC element 26 within the
purchased paclcage and readable only using a well-known ICC interface
apparatus 28.
It shall be understood that the term "computer data storage media", as used
herein,
shall be interpreted to mean any of the many and various media on which
computers
may store and/or retrieve data, such as, for example, read-only memory
("ROM"),
random-access memory ("RAM"), compact disc ("CD") ROMs, magnetic or optical
computer data storage media, computer disk drives, "floppy" disks, removable
storage
media, cassette tapes, etc.
[2170] It should be understood that multiple technologies may be
simultaneously
used to encode either or both of the activation code and PIN, so as to permit,
for
example, a POS with one technology but not another of an activation code
reader to
activate the package, without having to co-ordinate particular embodiments of
the
present invention with the particular (or unknown) technology at a given
retail
environment, or to allow the same package to be sold to a variety of
customers, some
having home computers and others laclcing home computers, etc.
[2180] If an embodiment of the present invention is used whereby the user's
computer can read information from the purchased package 20 or from a portion
of the
package and/or from contents within the package, then the registration process
can be
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automated. For example, an "autostart" CD-ROM, or other computer-readable
media
or an ICC element, etc., having the URL and/or PIN encoded therein, could,
under
computer program control, initiate direct contact with computer data storage
apparatus
34 at the Internet address given in the URL, and provide the necessary
registration
information such as one or more PlNs, activate the product's PIN or PINS,
receive
partial or full updated versions of the product, and/or receive one or more
unlocl~ing
codes from computer data storage apparatus 34, all with or without any
interaction
from the user. If desired, the user could be prompted to provide additional
auxiliary
registration information, as heretofore discussed. Additionally, the
registration process
could provide the computer data storage apparatus 34 with information unique
to the
user's computer, such as, for example, the network hardware interface address
("MAC
address"), etc., so as to restrict transfer of the registered product to
another computer,
or to provide information to be used during future customer service and/or
technical
support requests, as well as to limit or meter the future use of the product.
[2190] If an embodiment of the invention is chosen that has an ICC element 26,
then such an ICC card may then be used, in a manner well-known to those
spilled in
the art, to validate authentication of the card holder during subsequent
product
utilization, software download, activation code retrieval, etc. Such an
authenticated
ICC card could also be used for providing an access key to pay-per-use
entertainment
programming, entertaimnent services, virtual reality software games,
educational
material or instructional classes, and any other electronically-delivered
product
requiring a fee or license or pre-purchase. Other types of products that could
be used
or accessed by such an authentication ICC card are special entertainment or
sporting
events, entertainment products, streaming video or audio, music or concerts,
or any
products available through a computer with use of a valid ICC card and an
appropriate
ICC card reader, with the ICC element being activated by the present invention
at POS
or during registration.
[2200] Refernng to the drawing figures, the various embodiments of the
packaging
of the present invention will now be described in detail. Identifying
reference
designators for all preferred embodiments of the packaging are marked
similarly
except using prefix designators of "l.", "2.", etc., for the respective first,
second, etc.,
preferred embodiments.
[2210] Figs. 1-10 show a first preferred embodiment 1.20 of the package of the
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21
present invention. Package 1.20 has first and second panels 1.66 and 1.68
preferably
constructed from a single piece of well-known one or two ply paper or plastic
material
and being optionally hingeably joined along a hinge line 1.70, and after
folding the
panels together, they are preferably secured in place to each other by well-
known heat-
activated PVC coating or other pressure-sensitive hot-melt adhesive on the
panels, and
certain areas of the panels may be masked out with no PVC coating thereon
applied, in
a manner well-known to those slcilled in the art.
[2220] Computer data storage media 1.62, such as a well-known CD-ROM, is
retained within package 1.20 by a transparent plastic blister window 1.72 that
is
received within a product display aperture 1.74, with blister window 1.72
being
sandwichingly retained between the panels by a peripheral flange 1.76 around
blister
window 1.72. As the package 1.20 is sealed, preferably using a PVC-based heat-
activated adhesive as hereinafter described, the blister flange 1.76 will be
sandwiclungly sealed to the panels of the package. Alternatively, blister
window 1.72
may be joined to a panel of the package using a radio-frequency sealer to bond
the
blister flange 1.76 to the surface of the package.
[2230] Package 1.20 includes an activation card 1.78, as may be seen in
greater
detail in Figs. 11-13, secured to package 1.20 preferably by a high shear
strength, low
peel strength adhesive such as PVC-based heat-activated adhesive applied to a
portion
of or all of the inside surfaces of the panels of the paclcage 1.20. An
example of such a
construction is taught by Hansen, TJ.S. Patent No. 5,791,474 (issued August
11, 1998),
hereby fully included herein by reference. Activation card 1.78 has a magnetic
data-
encoded strip 1.80, well-known to those skilled in the art and readily
readable by a
well-known magnetic strip reader 22, onto which the activation code has been
encoded, as herein described. Activation card 1.78 may have a PIN 1.32 thereon
obscured by a removable opaque covering such as a well-known peel-off opaque
label
1.82 (shown being removed in Fig. 13) or a well-known scratch-off opaque
covering
1.82' (shown being removed in Fig. 12). Activation card 1.78 may have a URL
1.60
thereon, directing the user to an Internet address at which the product may be
registered, and also may have a telephone number 1.59 thereon, directing the
user to a
telephone connection at which the product may be registered by speaking the
PIN 1.32
into a telephone or by entering a sequence of telephone dialing tones, as
herein
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22
described in the present invention's preferred embodiments of the steps of
registration.
The activation card 1.78 may also have a machine-readable optical data-encoded
activation strip 1.80', and one of the panels of the package 1.20 may have the
PIN 1.32
printed thereon and hidden by the sandwiched assembly of the panels.
Preferably,
activation card 1.78 has a portion thereof extending outside the perimeter of
at least
one of the panels of the package 1.20 as seen best in Fig. 5 so that the
magnetic data-
encoded activation strip 1.80 and/or the optical data-encoded activation strip
1.80 may
be read at the POS without having to remove the activation card 1.78 from the
paclcage
1.20 during POS activation. If desired, activation card 1.78 may have a well-
known
ICC element 1.26 embedded therein, into which the PIN and/or activation code
may be
stored, as heretofore described. Figs. 65-67 show a fourteenth embodiment
14.20 of
the present invention, similar to the first embodiment 1.20, except that a
protective
flap 14.84 extends over the activation strip 14.80 of the activation card
14.78 of the
fourteenth embodiment prior to activation, and the protective flap 14.84 is
folded or
bent along a fold, cut score or perforation 14.86 prior to activation so as to
expose the
activation strip 14.80.
[2240] Returning to the first embodiment 1.20, a transparent protective Mylar
plastic or film window 1.90 may be provided for covering a cutout 1.92 in one
of the
panels of paclcage 1.20, so that graphics and text on activation card 1.78 may
be seen
through transparent window 1.90 after assembly has been completed of package
1.20,
with transparent window 1.90 being preferably adhered to the package 1.20
during its
sandwiched construction because the dimensions of transparent window 1.90 are
greater than those of cutout 1.92.
[2250] Preferably, one of the panels of package 1.20 may have a plurality of
perforated scores or cut lines 1.94 along an edge over the activation card
1.78 so as to
permit easier release of activation card 1.78 from the rest of package 1.20
after
purchase, and also to provide tamper evidence of an attempt to view the PIN
1.32 on
activation card 1.78 prior to purchase. Alternatively or additionally, package
1.20 may
have an optically-readable bar code or alphanumeric code or optical data-
encoded strip
1.96 that may be used for encoding the PIN, the activation code, or product
serialization information onto the package. If desired, the URL 1.60 for
connection to
the registration computer may also, or alternatively, be printed on one or
both of the
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23
panels of package 1.20. If desired, package 1.20 may have a well-lrnown hanger-
hole
aperture 1.36 allowing the paclcage to be hung from a product display hook in
the retail
environment prior to sale.
[2260] Figs. 14-22 show a second embodiment 2.20 of the paclcaging of the
present invention, similar to the first embodiment 1.20 except that the
computer data
storage media 2.62 is a well-knov~m "floppy disk" having magnetic data storage
media
rather than the optical data storage media of the first embodiment. Floppy
disk 2.62
may be placed together with an instructional book 2.98 within a product box
2.100,
and box 2.100 is then retained within package 2.20 by a transparent window
2.72 that
is received within a product display aperture 2.74 within one of the panels of
package
2.20. Various items may be placed within box 2.100 such as, for example,
printed
collateral materials such as a map, an audio or data CD-ROM, greeting cards,
gasne-
related toys, and/or coupons. If desired, the box 2.100 may have one or more
apertures
therethrough to allow scanning of serialized product codes, activation codes,
etc. As
with the first embodiment, an activation card 2.78 has a magnetic data-encoded
strip
2.80 or an optical data-encoded strip 2.80' exposed and extending beyond the
perimeter of one of the panels of paclcage 2.20, and activation card 2.78 may
include
an ICC element 2.26.
[2270] Figs. 23-27 show a third embodiment 3.20 of the packaging of the
present
invention. The substantial difference between the first and third embodiments
is that,
with the third embodiment, a product serialization code 3.102 shows through a
product
serialization aperture 3.104 in a panel of the package 3.20 such that the
product
serialization code 3.102 may be viewed after the product is assembled. As
hereinafter
explained, such a structural feature can enable the finished package to be
scanned
during manufacture as a quality control step, either to verify that the
correct serialized
product has been matched with a given activation code, or else, and
preferably, for the
manufacturing process to scan both the activation code and the product
serialization
code and make an association between the two so that this association between
the two
may be passed to the computer data storage apparatus 34 for use at the time of
product
registration, and also for preparing quality control and inventory tracl~ing
reports. As
with other embodiments, an activation card 3.78 may have an ICC element 3.26,
if
desired. Alternatively, or additionally, a product serialization code 3.102'
may show
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24
through the transparent blister window 3.72 as seen in Fig. 27, or, if an
opaque and
non-transparent blister window 3.72 is used, an aperture (not shown) may be
provided
through the retaining blister 3.72 for viewing the product serialization code
3.102'.
[2280] A fourth embodiment 4.20 of the paclcaging of the present invention is
shown in Figs. 2~-32. The fourth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment
except that, in the fourth embodiment 4.20, the activation card 4.78 is
contained within
the perimeter of the panels of the package 4.20 rather than having a portion
of the
activation card extend outside that perimeter, and an activation code 4.80' on
the
activation card 4.78 shows through an activation code aperture 4.106 in one of
the
panels of the package 4.20. As with other embodiments, the activation card
4.78 may
have an ICC element 4.26 embedded therein, and activation card 4.78 may have a
URL 4.60 and may have a PIN 4.32 that may be obscured by an opaque covering
such
as scratch-off opaque covering 4.82'.
[2290] As with all embodiments, the choice of adhesive used to seal the panels
of
the paclcage together and/or to secure the various components of the package
(panels,
computer media, activation card, instructional booklets, etc.) together will
be
determined by the residue remaining on, or any damage to, any components of
the
package, as well as the holding strength of the adhesive, in a mamzer well-
known to
those slcilled in the art. A preferred adhesive, for effective adhesion,
efficient
application, and adequate shear strength is well-known pressure-sensitive hot-
melt
adhesive, readily available in the market and having little residual effect on
components of and within the package. Likewise, single or double-sided tape
may be
used to attach components to the package, and the kind of tape, and/or the
adhesive on
the tape, can similarly be determined by the residue remaining on or damage to
any
component after being removed from the package of the invention. W cluded in
the
design choice of tape and its type are the application properties of the
particular tape
and its associated costs. Tape may overlay and extend beyond the perimeter of
an
assembled component and adhere to any required portion of the paclcage. A
pressure-
sensitive label with a heat-activated PVC coating may be used to attach the
activation
card, or any other component of the paclcaging or of the product, to the
package, and
such a pressure-sensitive label may extend beyond the perimeter of the
activation card
or component, if desired.
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[2300] A fifth preferred embodiment 5.20 of the packaging is shown in Figs. 33-
34. Different from the first embodiment, the fifth embodiment uses a package
5.20
preferably of a one-piece construction, preferably a plastic package, and the
activation
card 5.78 is secured to the panel 5.66 of the package by perforations 5.108. /
Lilce other
embodiments, activation card 5.78 xnay have an ICC element 5.26 embedded
therewithin, and package 5.20 may have a magnetic activation strip 5.80 and
one or
more obscured PINS that are obscured by an opaque covering 5.82.
[2310] A sixth embodiment 6.20 is shown in Figs. 35 and 46, and the rear of a
seventh embodiment 7.20 is shown in Fig. 47, it being understood that the
front of the
seventh embodiment 7.20 is substantially the same as the front of sixth
embodiment
6.20 as shown in Fig. 35. The substantial difference between the fifth
embodiment
5.20 and the sixth embodiment 6.20 is that, with the sixth embodiment, the
activation
card 6.78 is wholly within the perimeter of the panel 6.66 of the paclcage
6.20, and
perforations 6.108 allow removal of the activation card from the package.
Activation
card 6.78 has a plurality of PINs thereon that are obscured by an opaque
covering 6.82,
and activation card 7.78 likewise has a plurality of PINS thereon obscured by
an
opaque covering 7.82. The substantial difference between the sixth and seventh
embodiments is that the sixth embodiment shows an optical data-encoded
activation
strip 6.80' on the panel of the package outside the perimeter of the
activation card
6.78, whereas the seventh embodiment shows a magnetic data-encoded activation
strip
7.80 on the panel of the package outside the perimeter of the activation card
7.78.
[2320] An eighth embodiment 8.20 is shown in Figs. 36-44, with similarities to
the
third and fourth embodiments. The activation card 8.78 is similar to the
activation
card 4.78 except, in order to show different possibilities for the activation
card,
activation card 8.78 shows different placement of the URL 8.60 and the PIN
8.32 is
obscured by a peel-off opaque covering 8.82. Transparent window 8.72 and
computer
media 8.62 are substantially similar to transparent window 3.72 and computer
media
3.62. Lilce the fourth embodiment, activation code 8.80' shows through an
activation
code aperture 8.106 and, lilce the third embodiment, a product serialization
code 8.102
shows through a product serialization aperture 8.104 and a product
serialization code
8.102' may also show through the transparent window 8.72.
[2330] Figs. 45, 74, and 75 show similar ninth, tenth, and eleventh
embodiments
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9.20, 10.20, and 11.20. In all of these embodiments, an instructional booklet
9.98,
10.98, and 11.98, respectively, may be within the box 9.100, 10.100, and
11.100,
respectively, and all may contain computer data storage media 9.62, 10.62, and
11.62,
respectively. In embodiment 9.20, instructional boolclet 9.98 serves a similar
purpose
as the activation card of other prior embodiments, and box 9.100 and/or
instructional
boolclet 9.98 may have a URL 9.60 for use in performing registration of the
product.
In embodiment 9.20, a PIN 9.32 is included within the package as on
instructional
booklet 9.98, for example, and, because it is sealed within the paclcage,
there is no
need for obscuring of the PIN, although such an obscuring covering may be
provided,
if desired. Additionally, the embodiment of package 9.20 has an activation
code 9.80'
visible on the outside of the package, either by having the activation code
9.80' be
printed on or affixed to the outside of box 9.100, or preferably by having
activation
code 9.80' be printed on or affixed to contents within the paclcage and show
through
an activation code aperture 9.106 in box 9.100.
[2340] The tenth embodiment 10.20 of Fig. 74 is similar to the ninth
embodiment
except that a product serialization code 10.102 is exposed through a
serialization code
aperture 10.104 through box 10.100, and has a label 140 of Fig. 50,
hereinafter
described, applied to the surface of the box 10.100. The eleventh embodiment
11.20
of Fig. 75 is similar, except the contents within box 11.100 are unserialized,
and a
label 140 of Fig. 50, hereinafter described, is affixed to the outside of the
box 11.100
so as to provide both the activation code and the PIN on the label 140 after
sealing the
box 11.100 during manufacturing.
[2350] Figs. 48, 49, 50, 51, and S lA show first embodiment 140 of a label of
the
present invention that facilitates applying the PIN and activation code to a
package.
The label 140 has a well-known pressure-sensitive adhesive 142 on the rear
surface of
its substrate 144, and may be applied to a package surface 146 from a roll of
labels
using a well-known so-called "blow-on" label applicator such as a pneumatic
label
applicator, followed by pressure being applied to the label, after placement
on the
package surface 146, using a well-known label tamping device so as to cause
the label
to be securely adhered to the package surface 146. A PIN 32 is printed on top
of the
label's substrate 144, and an obscuring removable opaque covering, such as
scratch-
off covering 82', is applied over the PIN 32 to the substrate so as to obscure
the PIN
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32. Fig. 50 shows the completed label with obscuring covering 82' over the
PIN, and
shows an activation code 80' on the label as well. If desired, other
serialization or
product code information 148 may be printed on the label as well. By using
such a
label to practice the present invention, the activation codes) and PIN(s) may
be
applied to the package in a single step from a roll of labels using a label
applicator,
with the correspondence between the PINs and the activation codes having been
established during the manufacture of the labels rather than after placement
of
activation codes and PINs with the packaging, thereby enabling manufacture of
the
product to be separated from the activation code and PIN correspondence and
tracking.
[2360] Fig. SOA shows a variant 140' of the label 140 in which the activation
code
80' is printed on top of the obscuring removable opaque covering 82'. Fig. 52
shows a
variant 140" of the label 140 in which a plurality of PINs are obscured by a
plurality
of obscuring opaque coverings. The structure of label 140" is otherwise
substantially
the same as label 140, and it shall be understood that the activation codes of
Fig. 52
may be overprinted on the plurality of obscuring opaque coverings as well. The
label
140"' of Fig. S 1B is similar to that of Fig. S lA, except that a peel-off
removable
opaque covering 82, having a releasable adhesive 150 affixing covering 82 to
substrate
144, is used rather than a scratch-off covering, and it shall be understood
that the
activation code may be overprinted onto covering 82 as well.
[2370] It shall be understood that any of the package embodiments of the
present
invention, not only the box of Fig. 75, could preferably use the labels 140,
140', 140",
140"' of the present invention, or could instead have the activation code
and/or PIN
printed on the package or a component of the package. Use of the labels of the
present
invention separates manufacture of the product package from the activation
code.
[2380] Figs. 55-61 show a twelfth embodiment 12.20 of the present invention,
and
Figs. 62-64 show a similar thirteenth embodiment of the present invention, it
being
understood that the substantial difference between the twelfth and thirteenth
embodiments is the structure of the placement of the activation cards 12.78
and 13.78
on the package. Twelfth embodiment 12.20 uses an activation card 12.78 that is
substantially similar to activation card 1.78 of the first embodiment, and
that
description need not be repeated here, and a transparent window 12.90 may be
used to
show a portion of activation card 12.78 therethrough. Thirteenth embodiment
13.20
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uses an activation card 13.78 that is similar to the activation card 4.78 of
the fourth
embodiment 4.20, and that description need not be repeated here. Otherwise,
the
twelfth and thirteenth embodiments of the present invention are substantially
the same,
and a description of the twelfth embodiment will suffice for both.
[2390] Package 12.20 holds a plurality of product registration cards 112, each
having a product registration code 114 thereon. The product registration cards
112 are
retained within a blister window 12.72, similar to the blister windows of
other
embodiments, and a serialization code 116 for one of the product registration
cards
112 shows through a product serialization aperture 118 in the package. As with
the
PINS of other embodiments, the product registration code 82 for each
registration card
112 may be obscured by obscuring removable opaque coverings 82. During
manufacture, all serialization codes 116 for all registration cards 112 in a
given blister
pack 12.20 are recorded and associated as a group, and the registration codes
for the
group are also associated with the PIN for the package 12.20, which, in turn,
is
associated with the activation code for that package. The association between
each
product registration card's product registration code and it's serialization
code is made
at the time of manufacture of each product registration card 112, which has
both codes
printed thereon. This association between the serialization codes and the
package's
PIN and activation code is made by reading the serialization code 116 through
the
aperture 118 during manufacture, and, with knowledge of the grouping of the
serialization codes and their registration codes, the product registration
codes for a
particular paclcage's PIN and activation code become l~nown. At registration,
the step
of registering the product by transmitting the PIN over the second
communications
channel 44 to the computer data storage apparatus 34 causes the computer data
storage
apparatus 34 to record that the PIN has been registered and that each of the
associated
product registration codes may then be accepted. Thereafter, for each product
registration card 112, the product registration code 114 for that product
registration
card may be transmitted over a third communication channel to the computer
data
storage apparatus, at which time the computer data storage apparatus will
verify,that
this product registration code may be accepted because the associated PIN for
the
package has been previously registered, and the product registration code is
then
accepted. It shall be understood that the apparatus and procedures used for
registering
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PINS, heretofore described, are equally applicable for registering product
registration
codes. It shall also be understood that all product registration cards 112
within a given
package may have the same serialization code 116 because knowledge of one
serialization code 116 through aperture 118 is sufficient to identify all
product
registration codes 82 within the package. It will thus also be understood
that, when the
package 12.20 is purchased and its associated PIN activated as with other
embodiments of the present invention, all product registration cards 112 in
that "multi-
pacle" paclcage become capable of then having their product registration codes
accepted.
[2400] The product registration cards 112 preferably have a graphic 120 of a
famous athlete or entertainer, and also have a URL 60' and/or telephone number
59' at
which the product registration codes may be accepted. A purchaser may thus
purchase
a pack of sports-branded cards or entertainer-branded cards and be directed to
the
Internet web site for that entertainer or sports figure. Likewise, one or more
of the
product registration cards could be given to friends of the purchaser, and, at
the time of
transmitting the product registration code to the web site, the friend could
then enter
the telephone number, or email address, etc., of the purchaser who referred
the friend
to the web site, and the original purchaser could then receive "bonus points"
for use of
extra products, thereby encouraging purchasers to give product registration
cards to
their friends, thereby increasing the "word of mouth" marketing for given
entertainers
and sports figures, etc. It should be understood that all product registration
cards
within a given blister package do not need to be the same, and could be for
different
entertainers (e.g., a "jazz collection" or a "roclc music collection") or
could be
collector's cards for sports figures. The "product" consumed by use of such
cards
could be, for example, download of audio music (so-called "MP3" files) or
attendance
at sporting events, etc.
[2410] Fig. 70 shows a fifteenth embodiment 15.20 of the present invention,
similar to the 'third embodiment, except that the paclcage may be folded into
a gift box.
An activation card 15.78 hangs off a portion of the package for activation in
the usual
manner, and an aperture 15.104 in the box may show a product serialization
code
therethrough. After activation, the activation card 15.78 may be removed from
the
package and inserted inside the gift box, as shown in Fig. 73, for wrapping of
the box
as a present. As is well-known to those in the art, the package may include
various
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flaps 154 to wluch glue may be applied so as to hold the gift box in. its
desired three-
dimensional form.
[2420] Fig. 76 shows a step in the manufacturing process whereby one or more
scanners 24 may read the product serialization codes 116 and activation codes
from a
data-encoded strip 80 or 80' using an appropriate data-encoded strip reader
(22, 24),
pass this information on to the computer data storage apparatus 34, where an
association may be recorded between the product serialization code and/or PIN
and/or
activation code, for use at subsequent registration, in a manner hereinbefore
described.
[2430] Figs. 68 and 69 show an embodiment of the present invention in which a
kiosk 130 is provided at the POS for vending the product package. Kiosk 130
may
have a well-known computer "touch-screen" display 132 and may have a well-
known
payment acceptor 134 for receiving money such as currency and coins. Kiosk 130
may have a computer 42 that controls operation of the lciosk, and computer 42
may be
interfaced to a PIN applicator such as a printer 136 for printing PINS 32 on
the vended
package 20 at time of sale, and lcioslc 130 may be stocked with blank
paclcages 20'
having no PINS yet applied. Computer 42 is preferably in coxmnunication with
computer data storage apparatus 34 for interchanging activation information
with
apparatus 34, or computer 42 may be "pre-loaded" with a set of PINs that may
be
vended, with apparatus 34 lilcewise having that set of PINS that, once vended,
may be
subsequently registered. In either of these kiosk embodiments, whether pre-
loaded
with a set of PINS, or whether in communication with apparatus 34, the kiosk
130
performs a final manufacturing step for the packages 20, namely, affixing a
PIN to the
paclcage as it is vended.
[2440] If the lcioslc is in communication with apparatus 34 as over a
commuiucation channel 38, then the kiosk may, at each sale event, notify
apparatus of
the sale event and receive a PIN from the apparatus 34 for printing on the
package 20
being vended, and apparatus 34 may then allow registration of the then-vended
PIN.
Alternatively, l~ioslc 130 could supply the particular PIN being vended to the
apparatus
34 from a pre-loaded set of PINs, notify the apparatus 34 that the PIN was
being
vended, and apparatus 34 could then enable subsequent registration of the then-
vended
PIN. It should be noted that none of the l~iosk embodiments require an
activation code
to be on the vended package because the lciosk controls the vending and
activation
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step. If the apparatus 34 supplies the PIN to the l~iosl~ over communications
channel
38, then pseudo-random PINS or sequential PINs could be provided to the
l~iosl~, as
desired, using algoritlnnic generation of the PINS.
[2450] fiz its simplest form, lcioslc 130 could print and vend a ticlcet 138
with a PIN
32 on it, and the PIN of such an embodiment might be used for purchase of
movie
rentals over "pay per view" entertainment channels or for downloading of audio
entertainment material. It should be noted that the download channel could
also be
different from the registration communications channel, such that the PIN may
be
voice registered as hereinbefore described and then a movie may be viewed on a
on
pay-per-view cable TV channel, or a PIN may be voice registered followed by
download of audio entertainment material over the Internet.
[2460] Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with
respect to preferred embodiments and preferred uses therefor, it is not to be
so limited
since modifications and changes can be made therein which are within the full
intended scope of the invention.
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